Disk wheel



G. H. FORSYTII. -DlsK WHEEL.u APPLICATION FILED SEPTZB, 1919.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

.l GEORGE H. FORSYTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLIOIS.

DISK WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lWIal. 29, 1921 Application filed September 29, 1919. Serial No. 327,108.

T 0 all fw hom t may concer/n.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE H, FoRsYTH,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use-v ful Improvements in Disk W heels, of which the following is a specification.

By reason of the growing scarcity of materials suitable for employment in the making of wood wheels and the rapid deterioration of same under stress of weather. and liability to damage by roughr usage, they are coming into disfavor; the wire wheel has many objectionable features inherent in manufacture and employment; the steel wheel of spoke or artillery type, while desirable from many points -of' View, is very expensive to manufacture; and current types of steel disk wheels, if sufficiently strong, are heavy, unsightly, and lacking in resiliency or springiness. ,A

The steel Vdisk wheel is recognized as the type most cheaply constructed but it has not met with favor for other than heavy work such as on trucks and the like, being undesirable on pleasure cars for the reasons briefiy indicated above. These wheels have,

. in general, embodied two disks spaced apart more widely at the center and approaching tion are to so redesign the steel disk wheel resulting fromskidding, striking of curbs,

etc.y Y.

It has been proposed to form disk wheels of a single steel disk but, in order to reinforce the same against lateral stresses, it

has been considered necessary to make the same of metal of a heavy gage, thus adding unduly to the clumsiness and weight of the wheel without securing the necessary strength at the points where most needed.

The primary objects of the present invenv duce the actual weight, and all while the vsame time retaining an appearance of lightness and symmetry compatible with the best pleasure cars.

According to my invention, a wheel is constructed which is adapted either to a fixed or demountable rim, the disk portion of the wheel is of thin gage metal provided, advantageously, with radially extending ribs on the inner face thereof, the ribs preferably being of decreasing sectional area toward'the periphery and the disk itself of decreasing thickness toward the periphery whereby the disk has the greatest strength adjacent the hub portion of the wheel where most needed; the peripheral portion of the disk, ribbed or not, inl some cases flanged laterally to underlie and support the rim either directly or through lan interposed felly member which is underlain by the ianged portion of the disk and has a shouldered portion against which the edge of the disk abuts. Other features of construction characterizing the invention will be made clear from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and a study of the following detailed description based thereon wherein are set forth several embodiments of the invention. It will be readily appreciated, however, that the description and drawings are illustrative only and are not tobe taken in an unnecessarily limiting sense.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the portion of the wheel illustrated in section in Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 `is a similar view of the wheel shown in section in Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on the line.

3-3 of Fig. 1; 4

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Y

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectionof the peripheral portion of a wheel showing the mounting of the rim; and

Fig. 6 is a similar section of a modified construction in which a removable felly member is interposed betweenthe disk and rim.

Having reference to the drawings, the central or hub portion is indicated generally at 11, the medial or disk portion at`12 and the peripheral or rim portion at 13, while the brake drum is represented at 14. In Figs.Y 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 the disk 12 is shown as being of substantially equal thickness throughout its radial extent while'in Fig.

5 it is shown as ot greater thickness toward the hub portion gradually decreasing in.

thickness toward the periphery. In each ot the figures the disk is shown as provided with integral radial ribs ot greater sectional area toward the hub portion and gradually decreasing in dimensions toward the periphery.

f vided with a marginal shoulder' 17 with `which engages the extreme edge ot rim supporting member 18, which member 18 1s securely assembled with the disk 12 and the telly member 16 by means ot a series ot bolts 19 passing therethrough and also servingV to hold in iirm association therewith the rim retaining wedge members 20 which are preferably eountersunk into the outer tace ot rthe telly member 16 to afford a Iiush tin ish therewith. The rim supporting member 18, which preferably rests upon the ledge 18a, bears against the shoulder 17 under pressure tending to torce the telly member 16 outwardly and against the rim 13 to support the latter, as the bolts 19 are tightened.

In Figs. 2 and Z1- a telly member 21 is shown ot somewhat ditterent coniiguration but similarly provided with an inwardly opening annular recess 22 within which is seated the outer edge ot the disk 12.' The rim supporting member 18 is assembled with the telly member and with the disk in a similar mannerto that previously described with the difference that a projecting lip 18b is provided tor support within a hole in the disk. The lip 18b is preferably cupped at its base to attord a spring-lock connection with the bolt 19. It will be noted that the lip 18b extends inwardly thereby preventing undue torcing ot the'wedge member 23. Instead ot the rim retaining wedge members 20 ot the tormerconstruction arranged at intervals about the periphery ot the wheel, an integral rim retaining ring 23 is shown as secured in assembled relation with the rim, telly member and telly supporting member' by means ot the bolts 19 as betore described.

Moreover, as illustrated in Fig. 4, there is lSecured an interlocking relation ot the disk and supporting members by the projection ot the threaded portions ot the latter into pertorations ot the tormer.

Y It will be noted that between the telly members and the vrim in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, and between'the flanged periphery ot the disk and the rim in Fig. 5, there is arelative inclination which under the tightening ot the rim-retaining bolts causes compression trom the; margin ot the wheelV inwardly with a corresponding outward, spring thrust.

rthe eitect is to produce a disk wheel in which the assembled parts shall be in spring relation with each other and securely locked together. The outer margin ot the rim supporting members are tormed upwardly to primarily serve as abutment members.

The supporting members 18 may consist ot rings or segmental rim supporting or retaining members. In the latter case they are preferably provided with side walls to prevent the entrance ot dirt and moisture entering between them and the telly members 16 and 21. It is to be noted that the retaining wedge members 2() and 23 are provided with inclined surtaces 20n and 23ar with which engage adjacent inclined surtaces ot the rim telly members 16 and 21.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, there is no independent telly member but the disk 12 is inwardly flanged laterally as indicated at 12FL so as to provide an integral telly to underlie the rim 13 and to serve as a support theretor, the said flanged portion ot the rim being arranged at a slight inclination and provided marginally with a rim retaining flange 12b. The rib 15 tormed on the rear tace ot the disk 12 is also continued outwardly along the rear tace ot the flanged portion 12EL ot the disk as indicated at 15a thus substantially reinforcing the rimsupporting portion ot the disk. Ilerein the disk is shouldered as indicated at 24 to torm a suitable seat tor the lower er ge 25 ot the rim retaining wedge members 26 held in associated relation with the rim and disk by means ot the bolts 27.

In Fig. 6, a telly member 28 is employed beneath the rim 13 and supported trom within by means ot the flanged portion 12c ot the disk 12, the extreme edge ot which abuts against the shoulder 29'ot the telly member 28, the space above the shoulder2l serving to accommodate not only the arm 25 ot the rim retaining wedge member but also the outer edge ot the telly member. Betere assembly ot the wheel the disk adjacent to its outer edge is ot slightly greater outside diameter than the inside diameter ot the telly member, whereby the parts are assembled under spring stress, the latter being augmented owing` to the outer margin ot the disk being flanged outwardly at a more `gradual bend than the adjacent curve ot the telly member.

In Figs. 3 and 4 are shown the details ot construction ot the hub member and also, in Fig. 3, the assembly relation ot the hub and disk with the drum. 'Ihe hub is ot pressed steel tormation, hollow, the inner portion tlanged outwardly as indicated at 30, and may also be radially tluted or castellated to provide outwardly opening radial sockets to overlie the inner ends ot the ribs 15. Those portions ot the tluted flange 8O lying interl mediate the ribs 15 bear directly upon the rear face of the disk 12 between the ribs 15, Y and the disk 12 is securely clamped between V the flange and the hub ring 31 by means of the bolts 32. The wheel is thereby greatly strengthened in that the angular stresses between the hub and the disk are borne in large measure by the flutings of the the spaces between the flutings of the hub.

As clearly seen in Fig. 3, the inner margin of the wall 33 of the brake drum is securely clamped between the flange 30 and the disk 12 by means of the bolts 32. Y

I claim:

' 1. In a vehicle wheel, the combination with the hub and rim portions, of an intermediate disk portion having a substantially plain front face and a radially ribbed rear race.

2. In a vehicle wheel, the Vcombination with the hub and rim portions, of an intermediate disk portion having a substantially j plain concave front face and a radially ribbed convex rear face.

3. In a vehicle wheel, the combination with the hub and rim portions, of an intermediate sheet metal disk portion having a substantially plain front face and a radially ribbed rear face.

il. In a vehicle wheel, the combination with the hub and rim portions, of an intermediate sheet steel disk portion having av substantially plain concave front face and a convex rear face provided with substantially straight Vradial ribs.

5. In a vehicle wheel, the combination with the hub and rim portions, of an intermediate disk portion having a radially ribbed rear face, said disk of gradually decreasing thickness toward its periphery. Y

6. In a vehicle wheel, the combination with the hub and rim portions, of an intermediate disk lportion having a radially ribbed rear face, said ribs of decreasing sectional dimensions toward the periphery of the disk. Y

7. In a vehicle wheel, the combination with the hub and rim portions, of an intermediate disk portion having a substantially plain front face and a radially ribbed rear face, said disk and ribs gradually decreasing incross sectional dimensions toward the wheel periphery.

8. In a vehicle wheel, the combination with the hub and rim portions, of an intermediate disk portion having a substantially plain front face and a radially ribbed rear face, said ribbed disk at its periphery flanged Vlaterally to form an inner support for the rim.

9. In a vehicle wheel, the combination with the hub and demountable rim portions, of an intermediate disk portion having a substantially plain front face and a radially, ribbed rear face, a felly member underlying the rim at one side, detachable rim-retaining wedge members at the other side, the ribbed disk flanged laterally beneath the felly member to form an inner support therefor.

l0. In a vehicleV wheel, the combination with' the hub and demountable rim portions,

of an intermediate disk portion having a substantially plain front face and a radially ribbed rear face, a felly member underlying the rim at one side and provided' with an inner shoulder, detachable rim-retaining means at the other side, the ribbed disk flanged laterally beneath the felly member and bearing with its edge against the shoulder.

11. In a wheel, the combination with a wheel body having radially extending riblike members, of a hub disposed axially of of the wheel body and outwardly flanged to bear against the ribbed face of the wheel, theflange radially fluted to interlock with the rib-like members of the wheel, and means to clamp the hub flange to the wheel body.

12. In a wheel, the combination with a wheel body having radially extending riblike members on its rear face, of a hub disposed aXially of the wheel body and outwardly flanged at its rear end to bear against the ribbed rear face ofthe wheel, the flange radially fluted to interlock with the rib-like fluted hub flange and ribs, and means toclamp the hub flange and drum to the wheel body.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE H. FORSYTH.

Witnesses:

LEwIs T. Gnms'r, FRANCES K. GILLESPIE. 

